Daijiworld Media Network - Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar, Aug 30: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an absconding accused in connection with a chit-fund scam in Odisha involving the alleged misappropriation of more than Rs 17 crore belonging to depositors, an official said on Sunday.
The accused, Debabrata Dutta, former proprietor of DNB Food Processing Private Limited, was arrested from Siliguri in West Bengal, the CBI said.
The agency said Dutta had earlier failed to cooperate with the investigation and was declared an absconder in the chargesheet filed on December 26, 2022. He was booked for offences under relevant sections of the IPC and the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.
A Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was issued against Dutta on August 5, 2024.
Acting on source information, the CBI traced and arrested him from Siliguri on Friday. He is being brought to Bhubaneswar on transit remand and will be produced before the competent court, the agency said.
In a separate case, the CBI on August 21 arrested a Proclaimed Offender (PO) who had allegedly remained absconding for nearly 23 years in a case involving the criminal misappropriation of goods worth around Rs 9 lakh from trucks transporting consignments to customers.
The accused, Roop Singh, was arrested after sustained efforts by the probe agency, according to the CBI.
Earlier, co-accused Arjun Singh was arrested on November 7, 2025, after remaining absconding for nearly 22 years.
The CBI case originated from a case registered on October 4, 1998, at Amalner Police Station in Maharashtra concerning the alleged theft and misappropriation of goods, including ghee and mung, loaded in two trucks.
According to the case, on September 27, 1998, two truck drivers, Babu Khan and Aslam Khan, allegedly stole and misappropriated the goods.
The High Court of Judicature of Bombay at Aurangabad, through its order dated February 25, 2002, in a criminal writ petition filed on November 27, 2000, directed that the investigation be transferred to the CBI.
Accordingly, the CBI re-registered the case on April 5, 2002, against Babu Khan, Aslam Khan and others in connection with the 1998 theft and criminal misappropriation of goods loaded in the two trucks.
“After the investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet on December 19, 2003, before the Court of the JMFC at Amalner against Roop Singh, Arjun Singh, Babu Khan and Aslam Khan for offences relating to criminal misappropriation, conspiracy and abetment,” the agency said.
The CBI said its investigation revealed that Roop Singh and Arjun Singh, in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy with the two truck drivers, allegedly criminally misappropriated goods that were meant to be delivered to another party.